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Into the Third Century: The Past, Present, and Future of Michigan’s Archaeological Museums

a graduate and undergraduate student symposium sponsored by the Collaborative
Archaeology Workgroup in conjunction with the bicentennial exhibition “Excavating
Archaeology at the University of Michigan, 1817-2017.” The symposium will be held at the
University of Michigan on December 8-9, 2017 with a keynote address by Lisa Çakmak
(Associate Curator of Ancient Art at Saint Louis Art Museum and IPCAA alumna).Museums and archaeology have had a long and complex history at the University of Michigan.
Beginning from a mandate to collect and preserve artifacts of ancient cultures, they have since
expanded to more involved and sometimes conflicting imperatives of exploring, excavating,
educating, interpreting, and intervening in today’s world. These missions have become
increasingly intertwined with issues of US and international politics, including: environmental
awareness and custodianship, cultural heritage and ownership, and the increasingly complex
uses and potentials of technology and information science.
As archaeology at the University of Michigan moves into its third century of existence, this wide-
ranging conference offers the opportunity to reflect on the past achievements as well as the
shortcomings of archaeological museums at the University of Michigan along with the research
currently being undertaken by our students and faculty both within the museums themselves
and out in the field. Finally, contributions concerning possible visions of the future of
archaeological museums, whether dealing with technology, display, or the objects and spaces
themselves, offers a glimpse into what the next century of archaeology at Michigan may look
like.
Graduate students from any field that interacts with archaeological materials and museums are
invited to give 10-15 minute papers, while undergraduates are invited to present posters based
on their current projects. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
 The future role of archaeological museums
 Archaeological museums and local communities
 The present and future of technology and archaeology
 Connections between current fieldwork and museums
 The analysis and preservation of current archaeological collections
 Archaeological museums and the academic environment
 The history of Michigan archaeology
 The future of archaeological display
 Ethical concerns in the present and future of archaeological museums
Please submit a 300-word abstract for your paper or poster to cawofmichigan@umich.edu
by xxxxxxxx. For any further questions about the conference, topics, or presentations, please
contact either Matt Naglak (mnaglak@umich.edu) or Kimi Swisher (klswi@umich.edu